


A Sea of Drabbles

by ArcanusAnima



Series: Underwater Adventures [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drabbles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mermaids, Merstuck, Sirens, more tags as needed, they're still sirens but still
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 15:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7939381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcanusAnima/pseuds/ArcanusAnima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles and short stories taking place after Shifting Tides. Dirk and Jake's adventures as sirens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well this happened. My mind kept coming up with facts and history for this AU so it will now live on in drabbles focusing on one or so topics per chapter. 
> 
> Also small note: Jake has a mild panic attack at the beginning of this. It's nothing too bad, but if it bothers you you'll want to skip the first two paragraphs.

You wake up the first day into your new life in a momentary panic. It looks like you are in some sort of cave with softly glowing moss growing on the walls. You scrabble upright, and in doing so you disturb whatever it was you had been laying on. Was that, was that seaweed? Why was it floating? Wait, were you underwater? How are you breathing? Are you breathing? Oh, bloody hell you are going to drown down here without even knowing what is going on and no one will ever know what happened and-

Before you can truly work your way into hyperventilating a hand presses against your cheek and turns you towards Dirk’s worried face. It takes you a few moments to realize that he’s been trying to talk to you. 

“Jake. Jake, you need to listen to me. You’re fine, everything is fine. Just breathe.” Dirk’s voice slowly filters into your head, giving you something to focus on. It’s disconcerting to hear him speaking yet all the while his mouth never moves from the frown it’s set in. 

As you listen to Dirk speak soothing words and you begin to calm down the events from last night slowly return to you. Right, you had let yourself be turned into a siren in order to stay with Dirk. Once your transformation was complete Dirk had led you back here to this underwater cave he said was his own. The stress of the past few days combined with the energy for the transformation and relief that you and Dirk would be able to stay together had led to you quickly falling asleep. 

You take a deep breath, ignoring how your brain is screaming that you shouldn’t be able to, and steady your nerves. You start to open your mouth but just as quickly close it. Instead you attempt to form words with whatever you had use last night. “I’m okay , Dirk,” you tell your worried boyfriend. “I just had a slip of memory about recent events.”

Dirk strokes his thumb along your cheek. “As long as you’re sure you’re alright?” 

You nod, slipping from his hold in order to cling to him in a hug. “I’m alright.” You back away again, excitement filling you as a thought comes to you. “So what’s on the agenda for today? Exploring some undiscovered ruins? Hunting down undersea treasure?” So many possibilities run through your mind. This is an entirely new world for you to experience and you can not wait to get started!

Dirk chuckles at your quick mood change. “Why don’t we get you used to your new body first. You’ve been running off instinct this entire time but you really need to learn how to control your movements. Don’t need you flailing about at a critical moment when we inevitably run into a predator or something.” 

Well, that doesn’t sound like nearly as much fun as your ideas. But you suppose he makes a good point. You can’t go and make a fool of yourself in the heat of a thrilling battle! “Right then! Let’s get to it!”

Dirk suddenly breaks down into laughter. “What?” He merely waves you off, trying and failing to control himself. You cross your arms as you watch him but immediately stop when your new fins rub against your skin. That’s going to take some getting use to. 

Eventually you make it out of the cave, a smirk still lingering on Dirk’s face. Now that there’s more light you can see you ended up in an area with large stone structures that stretch up towards the surface far above you, some containing holes like Dirk’s cave. You wonder if others live in some of them and ask Dirk.

“Nah, this is kind of my area. Besides, most of those are barely more than small pockets. The rest of the colony is spread out around the area though. Now let’s go over some basics first.” He flips his tail up and gestures at it. “Obviously your tail is your main source of movement now. They’re fairly flexible, and you will have to practice to learn just how fast you can move and turn. Speaking of turning,” he now waves an arm in front of him, specifically pointing to the webbing between his fingers and the fin on his arm, “that’s where these come into play. You probably haven’t noticed this yet, but you can control just how far the fins on your arms are extended. Normally they’re relaxed, but if you’re moving at higher speeds you can flare them out and angle them as well as your hands to make sharper turns. You might not use that as much as I would, though, since you aren’t built to reach high speeds.”

You glance down and focus on the fins, trying to flex them. They do extend a bit further out, but only by an inch or so. That’s also the second time he’s mention something about builds and you are extremely curious on just what that is all about. “You keep saying how you’re faster than I am and things like that. How exactly do you know when I was just turned into a siren?”

“It’s just how you’re built. Here, look.” He brings his tail back up, motioning for you to do the same. “See how my tail and fins are longer and thinner than yours?” Yes you do notice that now. “It’s because I’m built for speed while you are built for endurance. Those are the two main classifications of sirens. Really it’s just a way to distinguish the basic abilities a siren has. Speed types are, like the name implies, faster and more agile. We have slimmer builds, longer fins and nails, and an extra pair of gills on our sides to help take in more oxygen when we’re moving at high speeds. Endurance types on the other hand are stronger and can travel longer distances. You guys have bulkier builds, shorter and wider fins, and only the two pairs of gills on your sides.”

Well that makes sense, mostly. “So basically you’re faster than me, but I’m stronger than you?” He nods. “Well at least that isn’t much of a change from before.”

Dirk smirks at that comment and reaches over to grab one of your hands. “Now that you have theory, let’s put it into practice.” He tugs you along, urging you to follow.

You spend some time swimming around slowly. At the beginning you kept trying to move with legs you no longer have, especially to turn. As you continue adjusting you slowly start to get the hang of things. Your tail is much more flexible than you had thought it would be, able to bend and twist to make sharp turns possible. You also finally adjust to keeping your arms at your sides, as they were only throwing off your coordination. Once you get confident enough just swimming around Dirk starts to speed up, dashing ahead of you to slip between the rock formations. You pick up your speed, managing to follow him with only a few near disasters. It quickly becomes apparent what Dirk was talking about with build differences. No matter how hard you push yourself you can’t keep up with Dirk’s speed. It’s still amazing how easily you can glide through the water now though. When Dirk decides that you have enough control of your body the two of you end up chasing each other around. He keeps his speed reasonable so that it’s actually fun for you. You think at this point your smile is going to be permanently affixed to your face, but with the matching grin on Dirk you can’t say that’s a bad thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: Jake discovers he's ticklish somewhere on his new tail (like really ticklish/sensitive) and Dirk has fun teasing him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all thank you Scenarios Ia for your request! This was a lot of fun to write, and also conveniently provided a great distraction from a project I was stressing over. I hope you enjoy!

Oh, blast it all. Now where has Dirk gotten to? The two of you had gone out for a quick hunt, but before you could locate any good prey your boyfriend had pulled a vanishing act. So now you were just floating out in open water with nothing in sight in any direction. You let out a sigh, bubbles collecting in front of your face before making an escape to the surface. 

Something brushes against the back of your tail and you yelp, shooting a good couple feet straight up. Laughter follows your ascent, and you glare back down to where Dirk has finally reappeared. “A bit jumpy there, English? I didn’t think great adventurers got scared.” 

You huff, sinking back down to his level. “I wasn’t scared! You just startled me. It was a completely normal reaction. In fact, having such quick reflexes are necessary for a great explorer.”

“I guess that makes you a master explorer with how fast you moved then. And that must have just been some battle cry instead of a yelp I heard,” Dirk says ever so casually, but you can just hear the teasing note in it. 

You go to tell him off, but you choke on the protest when Dirk swipes his tail fin against the back of your tail. A burst of giggles escape from you before you slap a hand over your mouth to stop them. The damage is done, however, and Dirk’s indifferent expression shifts into a sly smile. 

“What’s this? Don’t tell me the great adventurer Jake English is ticklish.” 

“Of, of course not! You just startled me again.” You try to look unbothered when you say that, crossing your arms and puffing out your chest. Unfortunately with how warm your face feels you have a bad suspicion that a blush has spread across your cheeks and is negating your attempt to play if off. 

Dirk drifts closer to you, smirk never leaving his face. “Right, of course. So it wouldn’t bother you at all if I just do this.” He deliberately drags his tail against yours again and you try and fail to stop the laughter it brings. 

“Dirk!” you shout, jerking away from him while fighting the smile trying to worm its way into your expression. You can see he’s going to try something again and take off as fast as you can swim. Of course, you have yet to get any faster and Dirk quickly catches up to you. He mercilessly attacks you with his hands this time, wriggling his fingers up and down the bottom half of your tail. It’s the same area that would represent the back of your knees and legs when you were still human. You had always been sensitive there, and it just figures that the trait had stayed with you even when you no longer even had legs. 

You can’t fight off the laughter anymore, not when Dirk refuses to let up in his ministrations. You laugh so hard that you are sure that if you didn’t now live underwater there would be tears streaming down your face. None of your squirming provides any relief, and you have no choice but to resign yourself until Dirk finally lets up. You lay against the sandy ocean floor where you had come to rest, gasping for air. Your stomach hurts from laughing so much, but you smile up at Dirk where he is half laying on you. He looks incredibly pleased with himself, and you can’t just let that go.

You swing a hand up to point a finger right in his face. “Don’t look so smug. You know this calls for retribution.”

Dirk doesn’t look the least bit intimidated. “You can try. But now I know one of your weaknesses.” His smile softens when you frown up at him (it’s not pouting!) and he leans down to press a gentle kiss to your lips. “Now come on, I spotted a whole school of those fish you like.” 

You let him pull you up and lead you away. You’ll let him off the hook for now, the promise of cod for lunch a good distraction. Plans are already coming together in your head for your revenge, though, and Dirk won’t see what’s coming for him.

 

 

Dirk wakes up the next morning absolutely covered in small crabs. His curses are overshadowed by Jake’s boisterous laughter. Dirk spends the rest of the morning chasing the creatures out of their cave and prying a stubborn few out of his hair, ending up with no small amount of pinched fingers. As Dirk tosses out the final shelled beast he thinks that Jake has been spending way too much time around the Egberts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder that requests are open either here or on my tumblr arcanusanima.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: Jake will sometimes catch Dirk looking at his tail (or vice versa). He'll deny looking at his tail. Teasing ensures and followed by a shut up kiss. Reverse teasing ensures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so this just kind of wrote itself. I don't think I have ever written something this fast. I can't say that all updates will be this fast since I am in college but for now I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Thank you again Scenarios Ia for the great prompt! It got a bit away from me, but I hope it still fits.

He’s staring at you again. Well, to be more accurate he’s staring at your tail again. You can practically feel his eyes burning into your scales. You have caught Dirk staring multiple times, though he always denies doing so when you hint at it. It is at least a bit flattering that he apparently can’t keep his eyes off of you, but you are kind of concerned that he’s doing the equivalent of staring at your arse. And Jake English refuses to be reduced to just his looks!

You drop the rusted key you had been looking at and round on Dirk. “Alright, I have had enough of this foolishness! Dirk, I know for a darn good fact that you keep staring at my tail and I demand an explanation. Is this the same thing as staring at my arse? Is that what you are doing?”

Dirk looks startled from where he has been watching you explore a small wreckage. “I, what? No. It’s not like that, Jake. It’s just, well.” You are surprised when his face flushes with color and he looks away from you. “Look, green is a fairly rare color around here, and I’ve never seen a shade anywhere close to yours before. It’s kind of hard to ignore.”

Well that certainly was not an answer you were expecting. But just to be safe. “So you weren’t just staring at my arse?”

Dirk swims over to you. “Jake, you don’t have an ass for me to stare at anymore. But no, I wasn’t doing the siren equivalent to that. I really was just admiring your color.” 

Was it just you or did his phrasing make it sound like he had been staring at your arse when you had been human? Not really the point right now, but still. Wait, did he mean what you think he meant?

“So basically what you’re saying is you can’t keep your eyes off my tail because you think it’s pretty?” You grin when Dirk frowns at your phrasing.

“I did not say that. All I said was you have a unique color that is very nice to look at.” Dirk refuses to look at you, his blush now extending down his neck. 

This was much too good to let go. “Are you sure you it’s not because you think it’s just a little bit pretty?” You flip your tail in front of you, drawing Dirk’s attention to it before he resolutely drags his gaze back up to your eyes. 

“Jake, please.” 

“Yes, Dirk? Something you want to say?” This is so much fun. Dirk’s entire face, neck, and shoulders are flushed orange at this point. He also looks incredibly embarrassed, not something you get to see often.

You are unprepared when Dirk suddenly darts forward and smashes your lips together. Your surprise quickly shifts to contentment, relaxing into the kiss and Dirk’s arms as they wrap around you and draw you close. 

When you separate Dirk holds your gaze with such an intensity that you wouldn’t be able to look away even if you had wanted to. “Jake, I would never say that your color is something so trivial. If I was to only use one word to describe your color it would be gorgeous. Our colors represent our very being, and your’s is so vibrant. It captivated me from the second you changed, only confirming what I could already feel from you. You have such a pure and boundless spirit, and the physical representation of it is beyond words.” 

You, wow. You have no idea what to say to that. 

Dirk smirks when you can only continue to gape at him. “What’s wrong? Nothing more to say to that?”

Oh that cheeky bugger! You drag him back down to kiss that stupid smirk off his face. 

“Shut up, Dirk.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: Fisticuffs can be done under the sea. Unfortunately, Jake and Dirk's first round of fisticuffs was misinterpreted. Bonus points for having Dave suddenly say "Not in front of the siren children!" Or something like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My class was cancelled today so I had enough time for a double update! Thanks again to Scenarios Ia for the request!

You are bored. So bloody bored. There is an itch under your skin that you just can’t scratch. Rather, you haven’t been able to scratch it. You are raring for a good ol’ round of fisticuffs, something to get your blood pumping and muscles burning. But Dirk won’t cooperate! When you had brought it up he refused to indulge you, saying you still didn’t have enough control over your new body. ‘Sirens are predators, Jake. We’re built for survival, one wrong move could seriously injure us,’ he had said. Which, you can reluctantly admit is a fair point. Nevertheless he had even shot down your alternative to sparring with him. ‘No, Jake, I am not going to let you go pick a fight with a shark.’ Dirk had kept a close eye on you after that suggestion. It just wasn’t fair! Dirk strifed with his brothers all the time, why couldn’t you?

Speak of the devil, here comes Dirk now. You refuse to move from the rock you are currently laying on, watching your boyfriend swim up to you upside down. 

“Are you still sulking, dude?” Dirk asks, looking down at you with a frown.

You flip yourself over. “I am not sulking! I just don’t understand why you won’t let me have a bit of fun.”

He gives you a flat look. “Because purposefully pissing off a predator twice your size that could cause you grievous bodily harm or even kill you sounds like so much fun.”

“Well you won’t go a round with me and I need to have some sort of action!” Adjusting to your new life had kept you busy for a while but now you missed the thrill of a good fight.

“We have got to work on your phrasing,” you hear Dirk mutter. “Fine, if it really means that much to you I’ll strife with you.”

You perk up instantly. “Really? Fantastic!” You shove yourself off the rock and dash over to more open water. Turning around you see Dirk hasn’t moved a bit. “What are you waiting for? Get a move on, Dirk! You have made me wait for this long enough and I refuse to wait any longer!”

“Alright, alright. Just try to remember not to use your claws, and watch that you don’t catch my scales.”

Dirk swims up so he is level with you, keeping his distance as you face off. You wait only long enough to make sure he’s ready before charging at him. He ducks under your first punch, countering by slamming his tail into your side. That knocks the breath out of you but you don’t let it slow you down. Your next punch lands solidly in Dirk’s stomach, causing him to fold in on himself. Before you can land another hit he slips out of range, forcing you to chase after him. 

Your scuffle turns into an odd mix of actual fisticuffs and a game of cat and mouse. Quick bouts of chase lead to ambushes where you trade blows for a time before breaking off again. You can’t pin Dirk down to have a true face-off of strength, but the added difficulty of fighting in water helps make up for it. It’s a right blast, the best challenge you have ever had. And you only tried to use appendages you no longer have a few times! You consider that a great improvement! You are so glad Dirk finally got it out of his head that you were going to injure yourself doing the most basic things. Neither of you will have more than maybe a few bruise after this. 

“Woah. How could you guys do something so shameless out where anyone could see? Think of the children. Quick, John, don’t look.”

“Gah, Dave! Get your hands off my face!”

The sudden appearance of two voices startles you into losing focus. You turn to see Dave and John have shown up, Dave attempting to cover John’s eyes while John flails to get him off. Your momentary lapse in attention costs you though. While you had stopped in your tracks Dirk had continued in his attack. A sharp pain in your arms causes you to flinch, drawing you back to the fight. But the damage is already done, Dirk now looking at you in horrified panic. 

“Shit, Jake, are you okay? Of course you’re not, you’re bleeding. Damn it, this is why I didn’t want to do this. You weren’t ready for this yet and now you’re hurt and why did I think this would be okay-”

You block out Dirk’s frantic babbling to take a look at the damage. There is a thin slice on your upper arm slowing leaking blood. It’s hardly more than a scratch, you have had much worse, so you aren’t quite sure why Dirk is freaking out so bad. The only problem you can think of is that it does sting badly due to being in salt water. 

“Dirk, calm down. Look, it’s barely a scratch, nothing to lose your mind over.” You hold your arm out to show him. Dirk immediately grabs it and gently examines your wound. Dave and John swim over to your side, looking worried. 

“Great job, bro. You always go out of your way to slice up your boyfriends?”

John elbows Dave in the ribs. “Shut up, Dave. I’m pretty sure that it’s your fault Jake got distracted in the first place.”

“Dave, go get something to wrap this,” Dirk orders, not taking his eyes off of your arm.

“Ugh, fine.” Dave swims off, crimson tail flashing in the light filtering down from the surface. 

John smiles sheepishly at you. “Sorry about Dave distracting you. We just wanted to come say hi, not make you mess up and get injured.”

You wave off his apology with your free hand. “It’s no problem! Really, it’s my own fault for losing focus in the middle of a scuffle. A great adventurer must always be alert and prepared!”

“Jake, stay still. I don’t want you losing anymore blood.” Dirk tightens his grip to keep you still.

“Devilfucking dickens, Dirk! It’s just a scratch. I’m not going to bleed out even if we do absolutely nothing to it.” Honestly, you would think you had a gaping hole in your chest the way Dirk is fretting.

Dave comes speeding back into view before Dirk can respond to you. Dirk takes the bundle of seaweed his brother hands him, pulling them out into strips and layering them over your cut. You wonder about just how sanitary this is as you watch him swiftly weave the plants into a suitable bandage. 

When he’s finished Dirk looks over to Dave with a serious look that surprises you. “Did you see anything”

Dave shakes his head, frowning. “No, but we should still get out of here before something decides to show up.”

Dirk grabs the hand on your uninjured arm and leads you away. You catch Dave doing the same with John. The four of you travel in silence, speeding back towards the colony. Once you get closer John starts talking to Dave about something, breaking the odd silence. Dirk also starts to slow down from the fast pace he had set.

You tug lightly on Dirk’s arm, drawing his attention back to you. “Care to explain just what all that was about?”

Dirk sighs, tension starting to drain from his form. “Jake, think about it for a second. We were out in open water, far away from any other sirens, and you were bleeding. Blood attracts predators and that far away from any kind of backup could have been disastrous if a large shark or something worse had caught the scent.”

You frown, realizing that the situation was a bit more serious than you had thought. “Oh. Gosh, that would have been quite a mess. I’m sorry, Dirk. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t pressured you into sparring with me.”

Dirk stops so suddenly you nearly crash into him. He turns to face you, dropping your hand so he can cup your face with both of his. “No, Jake, this wasn’t your fault. Accidents happen in strifes, it was bound to happen at some point. I just didn’t want to put you in that kind of a situation so soon. You’ve gone through so much in so little time, I just didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

You shake your head, careful not to dislodge Dirk’s hands. “I’m not going to be overwhelmed, at least not at this point I don’t think. I just want to go out and truly  experience this new life you have given me. You can’t keep me sheltered forever. I was born to go explore new things regardless of the possible dangers.”

“I know. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I realize you lived on that island with all those wild animals your whole life, but you still haven’t seen all the dangers that lurk down here.” Dirk rests his forehead against yours, eyes softening.

“So are you guys just going to continue with what you were doing earlier? ‘Cause if you are John and I are out of here and you should really go back to your cave. Or at least find somewhere where other people can’t just swim in on you.”

You shift your attention back to where Dave and John are floating nearby. John has flushed a bright blue, slapping at Dave in an attempt to get him to stop talking. “What are you talking about?”

Next to you Dirk groans, covering his flushed face with a hand. “Dave, no. That was not what was going on.”

Dave’s smirk only grows. “Are you sure? From what I saw it looked like you two were-”

“Haha, okay that’s enough of that!. We’ll catch up with you guys later! C’mon, Dave. Time to go!” John drags Dave way, one hand firmly clasped over Dave’s mouth. You watch them go, wondering just what that was all about.

“Dirk?” You nudge his shoulder when he doesn’t respond. “What did they think we were doing? Is this some other siren thing?”

“Never mind, Jake. Just, let it go.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Dirk and Jake explore a sunken ship. Dirk finds a crown and, as a joke, puts it on Jake and calls him "My little prince." Jake starts to cry because that's what his grandma used to call him and the emotions just hit him in that moment. Comforting insures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another prompt to finish off the weekend. Thank you once again to Scenarios Ia for the prompt! I hope I did it justice.

Oh, this is such an amazing find! Dirk had taken you to another ship wreckage and this was the best one yet. The old ship had settled in between some large rocks, protecting it from any nearby currents. It is absolutely filled with a variety of old items and secrets to discover. 

“Dirk! Come look at this! I think I just came across an actual treasure chest, and it seems to still be completely intact!” you call out from within the ship. The chest before you is worn and rusted, but still firmly sealed by a large padlock. You wonder what might be in it and the anticipation is making you even more excited. 

You are very grateful that Dirk has been taking you out to new places more often lately. It’s fairly difficult to keep track of time down here, but you know that it has been right around a year since you gave up life above the water to stay with Dirk. It also means it has been a year since your grandmother passed. You have been trying not to dwell on it, and the extra adventures have helped keep your mind off it. 

Dirk pops his head in through the opening in the ceiling. “Anything interesting in it?” 

You shrug, looking around for something to break the lock with. “I’m not sure yet, but there is bound to be something incredible inside!”

“Well then let’s bust this thing open.” Dirk swims down next to you just as you find a good sized rock to use. 

“Right!” You bring the rock down hard on the lock, shattering it in one hit. Prying the lid open takes a bit more work due to the rust but even that doesn’t take long. Inside is a small fortune of gold coins and numerous pieces of jewelry. Time and being submerged in water has done surprisingly little damage to the pieces. You grin and start digging through the chest, Dirk joining in. 

“Hey, there’s a crown in here.” Dirk pulls out a delicately detailed crown, turning it over in his hands. He suddenly reaches up and places it on your head. “There, now you’re a true prince of the sea.”

_My little prince_

Your grin immediately falls. You drop the coins you had been holding, no longer feeling up to this adventure. 

“Jake?” Dirk’s voice is thick with worry, but you can’t find the energy to try and reassure him. 

“Can we go back now?” You don’t want to stay here any longer. 

Thankfully Dirk doesn’t question your sudden mood shift and leads you out of the wreckage and back to your cave. The trip is silent, you lost in your thoughts and Dirk never saying anything. You head to the nest of seaweed as soon as you return, curling up into a ball with no plans of moving for the foreseeable future. 

Dirk settles behindyou, still not speaking. After a few minutes a hand comes to rest on your shoulder. You curl up tighter. “Do you want to talk about this? Or do you just want to be alone for a while?”

You honestly don’t want to even think about anything right now, but the idea of being alone at this moment is even worse. You uncurl yourself just enough so that you can turn over, curling right back up once you are facing Dirk. You must look like a mess because Dirk wraps his arms around you and holds you tightly against him.

You stay like that for some time, mentally preparing yourself for what you want to say. “My grandma used to call me that,” you begin quietly. “I was ‘her little prince’. She would read me these stories with knights and dragons and ancient kingdoms when I was little and I would build these forts and claim they were my castles. Even when I outgrew that and started to go explore the island more the nickname stuck.” You pause, taking a moment to gather yourself so you don’t completely break down. “It’s been right around a year since I joined you in this life, Dirk. And that means it has been a year since she died. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and that just kind of tipped everything over the edge.” Your breath hitches, and you fight to hold back tears. “I’m sorry, Dirk. I’ve been a right downer lately and you shouldn’t have had to deal with all this.”

Dirk squeezes you tighter. “Hey, no. Jake, listen to me.” You look up to meet his eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for. That loss is still fresh and you have every right to mourn. The only thing I wish you had done was told me sooner. If you need to take some time to properly mourn that is exactly what we will do. As long as you want me, I will always be here for you.”

Your eyes blur with tears and your composure finally breaks. You latch onto Dirk, burying your face into his shoulder. All the emotions you had been bottling up pour out as you start to sob. Dirk holds you through it all, gently carding his fingers through your hair and speaking soft words. You stay like that for the rest of the day, wrapped up safely in Dirk’s arms as you cry. At some point you wear yourself out to the point of exhaustion and fall asleep, not waking up until well into the night. Dirk is still there when you wake up, asking if you are hungry and then going out to catch you something so you don’t have to move. The next few days go much the same way, and you spend the down time sorting out your feelings. You relive memories of your grandmother through stories you tell to Dirk who listens with a soft smile on his face. 

By the end of the week you feel significantly better, the grief still there but manageable now. Dirk even surprises you one morning by presenting you with the chest you had found in that ship. He must have coerced someone to go get it for him, as he had never left your side except to quickly hunt for food. You’re happy either way, and the two of you spend the rest of the day going through the treasures. The crown has a permanent spot in your cave right next to your old glasses in remembrance of your grandmother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit harder to write so I hope it's still good. Also, as a side note I finally got around to drawing Dirk and Jake's siren forms for anyone that want's to see that.
> 
> [Jake]()
> 
> [Dirk]()


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Dirk and Jake have dinner with Dave and some mer-siren-family members and everyone is just like asking them questions and then Dave brings up the time he caught them fisticuffing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this took a bit longer than normal. Sorry about that, but I wanted to focus and finish up Frozen Lilacs. This did end up over 1,500 words long though so hopefully that makes up for the delay. 
> 
> Thanks to Miriage for this great prompt!

Oh, boy are you a nervous wreck right now. You are on your way to meet the rest of Dirk’s family and you are so scared you are going to mess something up or make a fool of yourself. You have already met Dave, Dirk’s younger brother, through some rather unconventional means. So at least you won’t be meeting his entire family all at once. But Dirk’s older brothers practically raised Dirk and Dave, which makes this whole thing a lot like meeting the parents of your boyfriend. You are not sure you are ready for this.

Dirk is leading you towards the outer edge of the colony’s territory, which you had been shown the boundaries of a few days ago. Apparently the elder striders live out here in order to protect the rest of the colony, as they are the leaders of this area. Luckily you reside next to two other peaceful colonies, so the protection is more for rogue enemies or wild predators. 

Dirk squeezes your hand, dragging you out of your thoughts. “Relax. My brothers are weird as hell but they’re not going to eat you alive or anything. I make no guarantees about them not embarrassing the hell out of both of us though. I already got to see what this kind of thing is going to look like when Dave introduced John, so I really don’t have very high expectations. On the plus side they both survived so we should be good.”

That really doesn’t make you feel any better. You don’t get to dwell on it any longer though as Dirk comes to a stop in front of a rather large cave. No one seems to be around yet and you don’t know if that makes things better or worse. 

“So, this is your little boyfriend?” You shriek and shoot a couple feet up when a voice suddenly speaks directly behind you. “Bit of a jumpy one.”

“Knock it off, Bro. He’s just nervous with everything happening. And it doesn’t help that you just had to go and sneak up on him.” 

You let yourself drift back down to Dirk’s side, your heart beating wildly in your chest. In front of you is a siren who looks very similar to Dirk. Bro, if you heard that right, is obviously older than either of you. His size is the first thing that stands out, being much larger than either you or Dirk. There is a large scar that stretches over his chest, originating from over his heart and standing out against his grey-tinted skin. He has dark orange scales covering his tail and skin, though much more heavily. His fins are all jagged where they flare out, much like Dave’s but more intensely. Unlike anyone you have seen he also has a set of fins that extend from his waist down a quarter of his tail, and there are also dark markings covering his tail. His eyes are dark orange, matching his scales and fins. 

“Hey, always got to be prepared. Never know what might be lurking around just waiting for you to drop your guard.” Bro says this all while giving you a predatory smirk that makes you scoot ever so slightly closer to Dirk.

“That is the exact same excuse you used when you decided to ambush me for a solid week every chance you could. You just enjoy tormenting people for your own amusement.” You turn to see Dave swimming towards you.

Bro just shrugs, neither confirming or denying the accusation. 

“Are you guys seriously already arguing? We haven’t even started anything yet. Bro, have you even properly introduced yourself before you started tormenting the guy?” A new voice draws your attention back to the cave. Another siren has emerged, this one looking startlingly similar to Dave. His scales and fins are a dark shade of red, the same as his eyes, and his tail fins are like larger versions of Dirk’s. Like Bro the newcomer has an additional set of fins at his waist, dark markings on his tail, and lightly grey-tinted skin. 

“Nah, figured you could have the honors of that,” Bro says with a wave of his hand.

The new siren lets out a long suffering sigh. “Why do I even bother.” He swims over so he is at eye level with you and dips his head slightly in greeting. “Jake, right? It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m these three idiots older brother. Call me D.”

“It’s, uh, very nice to meet you as well!” You quickly bow your head as well. You had learned after an awkward first meeting with Dave that sirens didn’t shake hands when they meet and instead just bow their heads. The custom does make sense considering the deadly weapons attached to everyone’s hands. 

Bro, who had gotten behind you again?!,  pats your shoulder as he swims by to float next to D. “Name’s Bro, kid.”

D gives a hard look at Bro, which has no effect, before focusing back on you. “Now, there are a few simple rules you need to abide by in this colony. The first is to stay within our territory, which I’m sure Dirk has already shown you where it ends.” You nod. “Good. The colonies that border ours are friendly enough but until they know you are part of this colony and not just a rogue siren it’s best to not venture too far. Second rule is to avoid human contact as much as possible. I know you used to be human and Dirk completely ignored that rule, but not all humans turn out to be like you. It shouldn’t be a problem anyways with how few humans ever come to this area. The last rule is to just keep an eye out for any potential trouble. If you ever see a shark or something closing in on our territory come tell us immediately. This goes for sirens you don’t recognize, though with this you should check with Dirk until you have met everyone around here. Got all that?”

You nod, mildly overwhelmed by all of the new rules. At least they were simple enough. 

“Good. One more rule that’s specific to you.” D’s friendly demeanor shifts to dead serious in a second. “Hurt our baby brother and you won’t live to regret it.” 

Oh, fucking hell. You quickly nod again even as it feels like all the blood in your body has iced over. “I would never dream of bringing harm Dirk.”

All at once D loses his menacing aura and returns to the easygoing attitude he had before. “Alright, now that that’s all settled let’s get moving. I don’t know about you guys but I am starving.”

The five of you head out in a loose formation. Dirk had explained to you that it was traditional for families to hunt together as a bonding experience. Because you were coming into the family and were new to the colony it was inevitable that this would happen. 

Watching D and Bro hunt is an experience in itself. They are absolutely silent when they move, and you can barely keep track of them with how fast they are. It hardly takes any time to catch plenty of food for everyone and soon you are all settled down and enjoying the small feast. Casual conversation passes between you. You even get to tell some stories of your adventures on your island, which certainly helps calm your nerves somewhat. Everything is going well until Dave brings up the scuffle you and Dirk had the other day. 

“So John and I were just going to go see if Dirk and Jake wanted to go hunt together or something and come across these two with their hands all over each other. What did you guys call it again? Fisticuffs?”

Immediately it goes dead quiet and all attention focuses onto you and Dirk. You are frozen with a large piece of fish shoved in your mouth, staring at Dave in horror and betrayal. Dirk makes a choking sound beside you but you can’t bring yourself to turn and make sure he is okay.

“Wow, moving a bit fast there you two.” Bro drawls out, breaking the silence and snapping D from his shock.

“Dirk Strider. You had better explain right this second.” 

Dirk glares at Dave as the traitor sits there in smug amusement to what he has done. “I swear it was nothing like what he said. We were just strifing. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“It had better have just been strifing.” D is sitting with his arms crossed and all but looming over you by now.

“Oh, relax, D. He’s an adult in his own right. If he wants to get up to-” 

D interrupts Bro in a rush. “Say one more word and I swear I will make you regret it.”

Bro waggles his eyebrows which only causes D to glare harder. “Is that a promise?”

“Damn it, Bro!”

The elders devolve into squabbling while Dave proceeds to crack up laughing. Dirk has his face buried in his hands, muttering something about getting stuck with the most aggravating family ever. You know your face is flushed with embarrassment as you watch everything fall apart before you. If there is any consolation to all of this it’s that this day could have gone much worse. 

To the side D and Bro start taking swipes at each other, evolving into a full out fight. Dave has migrated to poking fun at Dirk, who looks like he is about to copy his older brothers and attack Dave at any second. 

Well, you think things could have gone much worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro and D's [siren designs]()


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Dirk finally explains what Dave and his family members have been alluding to. Dirk is so embarrassed he might die any second now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to light_in_the_sea for the prompt!

“Hey, Dirk?”

“Hm?” 

“What’s the big deal with with strifing?”

Dirk’s hand pauses in its rhythmic movement through your hair, causing you to grumble in protest. “What exactly do you mean?” 

You sigh contentedly as he returns to carefully running his fingers through your hair. “Well, your elder brothers certainly had a negative reaction to hearing of our skirmish from Dave. And then Dave seemed to be implying that it was indecent that one time. But you said you all participate in strifes all the time. So I am right confused about all this.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just my brothers being idiots like normal.”

You turn around to face him. His face has a slight orange tint to it, and he is refusing to look at you. You continue to stare at him until he finally looks back towards you, and then you widen your eyes to give him the most pleading look you can. 

Dirk slaps a hand over his eyes. “Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. Just stop looking at me like that.” You brighten immediately, grinning at your victory.

“So, sirens don’t really get that close to each other. Casual touches between family members isn’t unusual, but anything else just isn’t done. We are natural predators and our bodies reflect that. Fights between sirens are not meant to be friendly, they’re almost always to seriously injure or kill. We’re a bit of an odd group to strife as often as we do, but everyone knows that they are purely for practice and aren’t meant to harm. What we’ve been doing, always leaning into each other, strifing as we have been. To trust someone that close to you without the fear of them hurting you is reserved solely for, well lovers.”

That didn’t really sound too bad, actually kind of sweet. The only thing that might be a bit embarrassing was the lovers part. “So our interactions could be interpreted that we’ve had sex?”

“Not just that, although some people probably think that too. It’s just, the way you fight especially really isn’t done down here. I know you’re more used to overcoming opponents by pinning them down and using your strength to win. But to other sirens what we’ve been doing could be taken as, er.” The orange flush covering Dirk’s face suddenly intensifies, spreading down his neck as his eyes dart anywhere but at you. “It could very easily been seen as foreplay.”

“Oh.” You don’t really know how to respond to that, only sitting their as what Dirk said slowly sinks in. “ _Oh._ ”

“Yeah.”

You sit there in silence, neither of you willing to look at the other. Your face feels incredibly hot, and you are sure you have a matching green flush to Dirk’s orange. The sun has long since set before Dirk finally speaks up again.

“Well, I think that’s enough for one day. I don’t suppose it would be too much to ask to pretend this whole thing never happened.”

“Right, yes! I say that would be a great idea,” you quickly agree. Both of you still sport flushes across your faces as you dive back into the water, taking your time returning home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: With halloween coming up and all i thought it would be interesting for dirk to explain the traditions and holidays celebrated down there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up as Jake explaining Halloween to Dirk rather than Dirk explaining siren holidays. I do plan to expand on their traditions and customs more but I figured this was a good introduction to the concept. 
> 
> Thank you to light_in_the_sea for this prompt! And don't worry, there will be an actual Halloween chapter when it gets closer to the end of the month.

“You know, I do believe it should be coming up on October around now on the surface,” you comment idly as the two of you enjoy your lunch. “At least I think that should be about right. It’s so hard to keep track of time down here.”

Dirk swallows down the last of his fish as he calculates something. “We’re in the 10th lunar cycle, if that helps. Why the sudden interest in the date?”

You munch down on another bite of fish before you answer. “Nothing really. It’s just that Halloween would be right around this time.”

“Halloween?” 

“Yes, Halloween!” you nearly shout, excited at the prospect at talking about one of your favorite holidays. “It’s a holiday we celebrate, though it’s mainly a big thing in America I think. People dress up as all fashion of things and go about collecting candy or just having a good time scaring others. We didn’t exactly have much ability to go trick-or-treating being on an island and all, but I would dress up in my younger days. And Grandma would always help carve some of the pumpkins into spectacular jack-o'-lanterns that we would set up around the lab. She would also make the best treats out of the leftover pumpkins.” Dirk is looking at you in complete confusion when you finish, causing you to laugh. “I suppose by the look on your face you don’t have anything like that down here.”

Dirk shakes his head. “No, not at all. I’m not even sure what the hell a pumpkin is, let alone what the point in carving one is. Or what a costume is supposed to be.”

“Well, you know the clothing I would wear when I was human?” He nods. “Those were normal clothes one would wear around all the time. A costume is something more elaborate, and not always all that practical. It’s like dressing up for something special. And a pumpkin is an orange vegetable that’s mostly hollow inside and you can carve shapes out of a side and put a candle in it so it lights up! That’s what jack-o'-lanterns are!”

He nods his head slowly, confusion still lingering in his expression. “Alright, I guess that makes some sense. But what I don’t get is why? What’s the point?”

“It’s fun! Well, I guess there used to be some reason for it a long time ago, something like warding off ghosts or the like. But now it’s just done for fun in the name of the holiday spirit!”

“That still sounds pretty crazy to me, but what do I know about human customs?”

All this talk about your holidays has you curious now. “What about down here? Surely you must have some sort of celebrations or holidays you can participate in.”

“Yeah, we have festivals and special hunts we do at certain times and with certain people. There’s actually one coming up during the next full moon where colonies will gather together and hunt as one group. It’s meant to catch up with people who you might not see too often, plus it strengthens the colony bonds as we coordinate to take down larger prey. Other celebrations are more personal, some focusing on family and others for life-friends or mates.”

You wonder if any of these customs come close to those you are used to. “Wow, I can’t wait to experience some of these for myself!” Then another thought occurs to you. “Oh, bullocks. I suppose that group hunt that’s coming up means I’ll have to be introduced to even more people.”

Dirk smirks as you imagine just how poorly meeting more people will go. “Yep, there’s still a number of members in the colony you haven’t met yet. Don’t worry though,” he reaches over to wrap an arm around your shoulders,” you already survived my brothers so that’s the worst of it.” He pauses. “Well, I guess Karkat can get a bit shouty at times. And by that I mean he will not shut up and will probably end up cursing out your entire family along with your ancestors. But still, it will be fine.”

You settle into silence, eventually heading back home at a leisurely pace. There’s a sadness that threatens to creep up on you as you think about how this will be the first holiday you won’t get to spend with your grandmother. Won’t get to experience at all since sirens have no concept of Halloween, which makes sense as you’re not sure how they would go about making or wearing costumes or lighting jack-o'-lanterns.

“So what were some of these costumes you used to dress in?” Dirk drags you out of your downward spiraling thoughts with his question. You spend the rest of the trip describing all of your magnificent, and not so magnificent, outfits. You even go so far as telling him of the one year you had attempted to paint yourself blue in honor of your current favorite movie at the time. Grandma hadn’t been happy with the mess you had made with that. Dirk listens to it all, making comments at some of your more outrageous costumes or asking for clarification on things he didn’t understand. Maybe you wouldn’t get to experience a proper Halloween this year, but you still had your memories and brand new holidays to look forward to learning and experiencing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween chapter with bad puns and pumpkin shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am so sorry I have been absent most of this month. School has gotten incredibly hectic and I have several large projects due within the next two weeks. So updates will continue to be sporadic until life decides to calm down.
> 
> However, I made sure to get this chapter done in time! And I'm posting it a day early to make up for the lack of updates. This is the Halloween chapter I promised light_in_the_sea would happen as they gave me some of the funniest prompts for this. I hope you enjoy!

“Jake! Jake, come on! We’re going to miss out if we don’t leave now!”

“Hold your horses, I’m working on it!” You finish adjusting your belt that completes your outfit and head out to meet John. “Right-o! I’m ready to go- are you just wearing a sheet, John?”

John is indeed decked out in a plain white sheet, holes cut out around his eyes so he can see. “Hey! I am a ghost, thank you very much. You don’t see me insulting your costume. What even are you supposed to be?”

“Why, I am obviously a grand adventurer, experienced in all the trials the world can throw against him!” you say with a dramatic pose.

John obviously doesn’t get the magnificence of your costume, snickering at you from beneath is sheet. “Yeah, sure. Now let’s go! We have to go rescue Dave and Dirk from their brothers and then we can go get candy!”

You follow John as he races off, marveling the whole time that his costume doesn’t slip off no matter how fast he goes. When you reach the elder Striders’ abode a strange scene plays out before you. Dave is dressed in a ridiculously large pumpkin outfit with Dirk next to him in - oh good gravy. Why was Dirk in a bright orange dress?

Dave notices your arrival first, coming over to stare at John. “Dude, are you just wearing a sheet?”

“Like you can say anything! You’re in a giant pumpkin suit!” John waves at said costume, as if no one had noticed it before. 

You turn away as the two start to banter back and forth. Instead you focus on Dirk as he approaches, dress flowing out behind him. “Dare I ask why you are in a dress?” you question him as he pulls you close. 

He smirks and gestures to your own outfit. “Well, every great explorer can use a princess to come save from a fearsome beast. And look, here you are to take me away from these dorks.”

You laugh at his explanation, resting your forehead against his. “I do believe you have adventurers mixed up with knights, but the sentiment is sweet.”

“Alright, kids. I think you’ve stuck around here long enough. And Dirk, I heard that dorks comment, don’t think I didn’t.” You look over to where the elder Striders have made their appearance. Bro is casually waving a, very real-looking, trident in your direction.

“Hello there, mister Strider! Is that trident part of your costume?”

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, kid? But yes, today you can call me Broseidon, god of the sea.” Bro grins, obviously pleased with his pun while the other Striders all groan.

“Bro. Bro, no. Why do you do this every year? It wasn’t funny the first time and it certainly isn’t funny now.” Dave has his face buried in his hands, mimicking his eldest brother who looks absolutely done with this whole thing.

Dirk grabs your hand, tugging you away. “Alright, we’re leaving now. Don’t wait up.”

The four of you head out, making your way around the colony and collecting candy as you go. You end up joking around between stops, getting into some of the most ridiculous discussions you have ever been apart of. 

“Come on, those things smell amazing. I would definitely eat one if it wouldn’t probably kill me.”

John looks at Dave as if questioning his sanity. “Dave, are you seriously considering eating a candle? You know, those things made with wax and dyes? Meaning they are not meant to be eaten?”

“John, you can not tell me you have not thought about what a pumpkin spice candle tastes like after smelling one.” 

“Dave, I can honestly say I have never thought that about any candle, let alone a pumpkin spice candle. What is with your obsession with pumpkins lately anyways? Next thing you’re going to tell me is you want to go find a pumpkin and keep it as a pet or something.”

“You know what, no. I am going to go find a pumpkin, and I will shove it up my ass. What do you think of that, John? What do you think of me finding a pumpkin to shove up my ass?”

“I think you are taking this whole thing way too far, and also that it wouldn’t work considering you don’t even have an ass.”

Dave gasps. “How could you say that? I thought you loved me, John. Why would you say something so hurtful to someone you love?”

John rolls his eyes as Dave flops onto his back dramatically. “I can say that because it’s true, you dork. You have a giant fish tail from the waist down, you literally do not have an ass to shove any pumpkins up.”

“Huh, you bring up a good point. So what do I do with this pumpkin now?”

You honestly have no idea what is even happening at this point. Where in the world did Dave just get that pumpkin? And just what did John mean by fish tails? None of you, oh wait. That’s right, John and Dave and Dirk were sirens. And so were you, since Dirk changed you. But then how were you all dressed up for Halloween and out trick-or-treating? You lived underwater now, and Dirk said sirens didn’t even know what Halloween was. What was going on?

 

You suddenly jolt up with a start, breathing quickly as you take in the now familiar sight of the cave you share with Dirk. A dream. It was just a crazy dream. You breathe out a sigh of relief, willing the last remnants of that mess fade into the background.

Next to you Dirk stirs, groggily looking up at you. “Jake? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Just, some very strange dreams. Don’t worry, I’m fine now.” You curl up against him, finding comfort when he wraps his arms around you. He quickly falls back asleep, and you do your best to settle back down and join him.

Perhaps not having Halloween down here is for the best after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I cheated and made this all a dream Jake has. That's why the detail is purposely vague, as any dreams I can remember having are always very fuzzy around the edges and jump around with no explanation. Anyways, that's all I have for now and I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Halloween and I'll see you guys next chapter ~~whenever that may be…~~

**Author's Note:**

> If there's something you want to know about this world, other characters, or just want to see something happen feel free to leave a request! You can leave requests in the comments, or head on over to my tumblr at arcanusanima.tumblr.com


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